Expect to be arrested, police warn

A busy weekend dealing with young people has prompted Dunedin police to warn people who do not back off when told to: they will be arrested.

Sergeant Chris George said police were kept "very busy" with arrests over the weekend, including 30 arrests on Saturday night alone.

Most of those arrested were young people in the north and central parts of Dunedin.

The offending was mainly disorder-related and invariably involved intoxicated people, Sgt George said.

Many of the arrests were for obstructing and/or assaulting police.

Often, associates of those initially being arrested were also arrested when they tried to interfere.

"People need to understand if they are told to go away and they do not, they will be arrested."

Twenty-five extra police were rostered on over Orientation Week to deal with the extra work they expected would be generated.

While the Toga Parade had been cancelled following disorder during last year's event in George St, police hoped there would be no repeat of that sort of behaviour at this year's Toga Party on campus tomorrow.

"[Students] think they're doing creative and fun things for the first time, but they're not.

"It's all been done before," Sgt George said.

A 42-year-old Dunedin man faces a drink-driving charge after he allegedly crashed the car he was driving into a parked car as he left a Dunedin hotel about 6.30pm on Saturday.

He allegedly had a breath-alcohol level of 734mcg, nearly double the legal limit.

A would-be thief met more than his match when he allegedly tried to burgle a Dunedin student flat on Saturday.

Sgt George said the man had the "misfortune" of being confronted by the "burly" occupants of the Clyde St flat when he entered the property about 6am.

The flatmates restrained the man until police arrived.

He faces a charge of burglary.

Police are seeking information about items of clothing and suitcases located in bushes at the intersection of Queens Dr and Drivers Rd in Dunedin about noon on Saturday.